Brand Guidelines

This guide provides a framework for logo standards, typography, and color, and provides examples of the system in use. These guidelines will help you create materials that are distinct and recognizable, visually positioning the City of San Rafael as “The City with a Mission.”

Logo & Seal

The design for the City’s logo and seal balances the city’s architectural heritage with the surrounding natural landscape. To ensure visual balance and branding clarity, the logo should always be surrounded by an ample amount of space, clear of text and graphic elements.

For letterhead, official documents, banners and larger applications. For legibility, the seal should not appear smaller than 1 inch (print) or 72 pixels (screen) wide.

Signature

Using consistent email signatures for email accounts allows us to present a professional appearance as well as create brand alignment while relaying relevant contact information.

The following are recommended guidelines for all staff members using an email account:

Less is more: Email signatures should be under 10 lines. If you feel you need to add more information, use pipes (|) to separate components adding two spaces between content and pipes.

Font: Use 10-point Arial for Name and City. Use 8-point Arial for all other.

Color: Stay consistent with the brand color palette.

Phone numbers: Include the phone and/or fax numbers you use regularly in an effort to make it easy for others to reach you. Don't include a cell or fax number if it's not something you often use or want to share broadly.

Social media: Adding links to social media channels is optional; feel free to promote the main accounts on Facebook and Twitter (see below) or your own office, division, or center's accounts. Using links is preferable to images or logos.

Step by StepGuide to creating your signature in Outlook

Color

Dark Blue

Gray

PMS: 440U or 425C

CMYK: 0/0/0/80

RGB: 88/89/91

HEX: 58585a

Black

PMS: black

CMYK: 0/0/0/100

RGB: 0/0/0

HEX: 000000

Pantone Matching System (PMS)

For high-end printed documents, specifying spot colors will allow for the highest level of color accuracy. The PMS codes refer to the industry color specification standard for printing applications. Please refer to actual PMS color chips for true color representation. The PMS colors specified for San Rafael are for printing on uncoated surfaces.

Four Color Printing (CMYK)

If the final application of your design will be produced with either four-color offset or digital printing, use the CMYK color values listed below each color swatch.

Screen Viewing (RBG)

When designing a presentation that will be viewed solely on screen (iPad, iPhone, desktop, projection, web), use the RGB values listed for the color, and set the document to an RGB color space.

Web Development (HEX)

For development on the web, use the HEX values.

Typography

The City's preferred font types are Bw Mitga (headers and large applications) and Lato (documents and body text). Follow these steps to add them to your computer.

Open the "Branding" folder in CM-Media Drive and select "Fonts."

Open the folder containing the font you want to add.

Open the Control Panel.

Switch to an icon view.

Open the "Fonts" option.

Drag the font file into the Fonts window.

Launch Word and select your new font.

A sharp, voluptuous, sans serif font with a unique and strong personality. Use Bw Mitga when you want to match the logo font. Good for primary headers, posters, and in other large contexts.

The semi-rounded details of the letters give Lato a feeling of warmth, while the strong structure provides stability and seriousness. Use for letters, documents, and other body text.

Photography

Humans are visual creatures and photography can help promote and communicate information. Images capture our attention and help us process information quickly.